Oddballs

[Ivan the Butcher]

In the thread about range brass, the reoccurring term was "Oddball". If you can't walk into the discounter (Wal-Mart, K-Mart and the like) or a small gunshop, and buy ammo for your gun, that would qualify as Oddball.

What are the Oddballs we are loading these days, I'll start:

Rifles:

22 K-Hornet

221 Fireball

8x56R Mannlecher Hungarian (uses .330 to .333 bullets!)

6.5 Carcano

6.5 x 54 MS

6.5 & 7.7 Japanese

45-90 Winchester (45 2 1/2" Sharpe's)

50-50 Carbine

450x 3 1/4 Nitro Express

264 Win Mag

6mm x 284 Winchester

6mm PPC

22 Bench Rest (Remington chamber as opposed to Norma)

Pistols:

32 S&W Short

38 Short and Long Colt

9mm x21 Largo

9mm x23 Mauser

357 Remington Max.

44 Russian

45 Scofield & 45 Army

45 Auto Rim

These are some of the 117 cartridges I reload.

What do you reload to keep the old gun's running?

Ivan

 

[colt_saa]

Not necessarily old, but definitely odd ball (I like Odd Ball) and most likely not on the Walmart/K-Mart shelves

22TCM

300 Weatherby Magnum

38/357 B&D

356TSW

9x23 Winchester

357/45 GWM

357 Maximum

10MM Magnum

414 SuperMag

45-70

50AE

50BMG

There might be others that I hand load, but they do not come to mind at the moment

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Have loaded 218 Bee and 45 Auto Rim.
One more - 22 Jet, you bet!

 

[Hairtrigger]

Mine are
22-454
7int-x
225 win
6mm ppc and 22 ppc
Rem model 8 marked 25-35rem later called 25 rem

 

[glowe]

I reload to give myself the ability to vary charges and bullets without having to search for what I need online or in stores. I also reload because it is a much less expensive option to feeding my revolvers and rifles, but not because they are not available. Online offers practically any caliber ever made, but the prices can be outrages. One of your picks, 45-90 is readily available online, but prices are way to high for me at $65 shipped for 20 rounds at Buffalo Arms.

My list is short, but am finding this ammo is almost impossible to find even online. For example, several sites list 45-75 Winchester for example, but none show it as available. Even the brass is almost all gone, so one needs to re-form 50-90 in order to shoot the rifle.

32 Rimfire
38-44 Target
45-75 Winchester

 

[colt_saa]

I reload to give myself the ability to vary charges and bullets without having to search for what I need online or in stores.

I agree, the Primary reason that I hand load is because I enjoy it, the bonus is that it allows me to shoot cartridges that are not easily available.

Hand loading has allowed me much experimentation outside of the customary projectiles for an individual cartridge.

For example I recently worked up a subsonic, 240 grain JHP, 10MM Auto loading for use in the Governments next generation of integrally suppressed 10MM Auto SMGs. These are the prototype projectiles that I am working with

If I did not find hand loading and Internal/External/Terminal Ballistics enjoyable then it really does not matter how much money I am saving or how many odd ball cartridges it allows me to fire, I would not do it

 

[steelslaver]

22 Jet
22 Harvey Kay Chuck (wildcat)
350 Remington Mag
30-338

 

[george_lehr]

I hand load:
.32 Long
.32 H&R magnum
.327 Federal magnum
.41 Special (Starline cases)

 

[LoboGunLeather]

The "oddball" category is where the fun begins! Sources for brass, bullets, primers, reloading dies, and lots of other stuff are like a big global treasure hunt!

.45-90 Winchester
.45 Sharps Express
.401 Winchester
.351 self-loading
.33 Winchester
.218 Bee
.25-20 Winchester
.25-20 Single Shot
.30 Remington
.35 Whelen
.22 Savage High Power

and a dozen others I have piddled around with over the years. Then there are the non-standard (wildcat) rounds:

8mm-06 (moderately popular after WW2 when returning GI's had captured German rifles in 8X57 but no source of brass, so the rifles were rechambered to accept .30-06 cases necked up to 8mm).
6.5-.257 (captured Japanese rifles rechambered for the .257 Roberts case necked up to 6.5mm).
.35-30-30 (popular conversion of lever action rifles during the 1950's and 1960's, rebored to .35 caliber and using necked-up .30-30 brass).

and a couple of my own concoction:

6X45 (.223 Rem necked up to 6mm, a fine lightweight rifle for deer and antelope).
8.5X51 (.308 Win necked up to .338. I did mine about 24 years ago as a lightweight elk rifle. Federal later came along with the standardized .338 Federal, which is the same thing).

Some (like the .45-70 Gov't and .44-40) are older designs than any of the above, but have remained in general production so they don't require nearly as much effort or expense to keep shooting).

Still hoping to find a .318 Westley-Richards one of these days, perhaps some of the other fine British rifles made for the India and Africa hunters. Fascinating stuff!

 

[brucev]

Odd balls? Have loaded for 7.92x57 Mauser (8mm) b/c I liked the M-98 rifle series and wanted to have ammo loaded to the full potential of the round. Loaded by domestic companies, the round is about like a .30-30 Winchester. Loaded ala European style, it is a fire breathing thumper suitable for anything in North America. As I loaded it, it was very useful for anything in the southeast United States. Sincerely. bruce.

 

[rockquarry]

How about the .22 Long Snapper, .219 Zipper, .22-30/30 Improved, .375 Whelen Improved, and .411 Hawk? I've loaded for these and maybe that many more other weirdo cartridges and had no regrets in parting with any of the guns, brass, or dies.

The odd stuff was all fun to work with at one time. However, the "time" just didn't last long. Sort of like swaging jacketed handgun bullets.

 

[fredj338]

I have always had a love for the oddball stuff with guns, mostly rifles.
260AI
6.8spc
7mm tcu
7mm Dakota
280 rem
338-06
338-74K
375 Win
404 Jeffery
41mag just because it is a stepchild

 

[walnutred]

While I don't presently load for these in the past the list would have included:

32 Long Rimfire, 50 Government Carbine and 7x57 Ackley Improved.

 

[HKSmith]

I reload .25 ACP (not an Oddball, but few people bother with it), .32 S&W, .38 S&W, .45 Auto Rim, and .455 Webley. This is in addition to all the "usual" handgun cartridges. The Webley is probably the oddest of the lot, but nowhere near as some of the cartridges the OP and others mentioned.

 

[Just another 22 shooter]

22 TCM
221 Fireball
222 Rem
38 Super

 

[k22fan]

In the thread about range brass, the reoccurring term was "Oddball". If you can't walk into the discounter (Wal-Mart, K-Mart and the like) or a small gunshop, and buy ammo for your gun, that would qualify as Oddball.

What are the Oddballs we are loading these days, I'll start:

Rifles:

50-50 Carbine

Pistols:

9mm x23 Mauser

These are some of the 117 cartridges I reload.

What do you reload to keep the old gun's running?

Ivan

Your thread about range brass asked what oddball military cartridges we still load for. That made my list short, .303 British, 8x57mm, and 7.5x55mm. The list of cartridges Wally World does not stock that I reloaded for in the past and mostly still have dies for would be long but not as long as your list. Not in Wal-Mart is a pretty low hurdle to jump.

Two cartridges on your list caught my eye, .50-50 carbine because I'm not familiar with it and 9x23 Mauser because the only gun I know of being made for it was the rare Broom Handle Mauser. Do you own that pistol and please describe the .50-50 carbine cartridge.

Rather than trying to remember my list again I'll ask if a member has a die set they'd sell for a revolver that I bought without researching how hard it is to get dies for, my .375 Super Mag. It is a left over from when long range silhouette matches were popular. The brass is made by shortening .375 Winchester cases.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Years ago I had a brother in-law that had a custom rifle made
that was called the .264 Newton.

Great looking design for a wild cat and it was quite accurate with
a 140gr Sierra bullet.

 

[Kurusu]

Mmm. My oddball ammo are.

7,65 Parabellum
7,63 Mauser
7,62 Tokarev
9mm Browning long.

Good luck finding any of my brass after I leave the range.

 

[SMSgt]

Do or have reloaded .30 Herrett, 9mm Makarov from 9mm Parabellum cases, 6mm Mongoose (.223 altered to 6mm wildcat).

 

[Walter Rego]

I load for the .22 Remington Centerfire Magnum (.22 Jet), .256 Winchester Magnum and 7.5 Swiss Ordnance Revolver.

 

[Warren Sear]

Among others, I load for the 7.62x54R for use in my various Mosin-Negant rifles, 7.62x25 for use in my CZ52 pistols, and the 7.65x53 Mauser for use in my 1891 Argentine rifle, usually with cast bullets.

Also, I load 10.6 German Ordnance for use in my Model 1883 Reichs revolver. Low velocity .44 caliber 153 grain cast wadcutter bullets sized to .430 shoot to point of aim at 25 yards. I also occasionally load 215 grain RNFP .44-40 bullets in it, but these shoot high. The sights on my revolver (a family heirloom my grandfather brought to the US when he emigrated here) are fixed, so I like to use the load that hits to point of aim.

Pictured below are my 1891 Argentine rifle and 1883 Reichs revolver.

 

[Nemo288]

I load 10.6 German Ordnance for use in my Model 1883 Reichs revolver. Low velocity .44 caliber 153 grain cast wadcutter bullets sized to .430 shoot to point of aim at 25 yards. I also occasionally load 215 grain RNFP .44-40 bullets in it, but these shoot high. The sights on my revolver (a family heirloom my grandfather brought to the US when he emigrated here) are fixed, so I like to use the load that hits to point of aim.

I just knew someone was going to have a historical 44 I never heard of!
That Reichs revolver is awesome and in museum condition.
Color me envious and glad to see you are shooting that baby.

I am gonna include the 6mm Remington in this category now, because both brass and ammo are nearly impossible to obtain.
When neither Midway or Starline can provide brass, it's getting rare.
The last batch I located was languishing at a well known gunsmith's shop several years ago.

I also load and shoot some less common 44 cartridges: .445 (should have been called the 44 supermag or the 44 Gates) and the mighty 444 Marlin.
Remington stopped making 444 brass a couple of years ago but luckily Starline picked up that ball as they have with many other odd-balls.
Yeah Hornady offers 444 brass but they charge $x2.

I have also used the .445 cases to make full length .44 special shot shells.
They will hold almost exactly .5oz. of #9 shot.
The faces are sealed with a couple of thin cork wads and bullet/primer waterproofing sealant which is really glorified nail polish.
This experiment was less than totally successful as some of the cases did not seal to the chamber under fire and backed out hard enough to lock up the revolver.
The plastic shot cases are the way to go even if they hold half the shot these do.

Still working on the 44 Alaskan.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Two cartridges on your list caught my eye, .50-50 carbine because I'm not familiar with it and 9x23 Mauser because the only gun I know of being made for it was the rare Broom Handle Mauser. Do you own that pistol and please describe the .50-50 carbine cartridge.

Rather than trying to remember my list again I'll ask if a member has a die set they'd sell for a revolver that I bought without researching how hard it is to get dies for, my .375 Super Mag. It is a left over from when long range silhouette matches were popular. The brass is made by shortening .375 Winchester cases.

My C-96 Broomhandle is in 30 Mauser but I have made cartridges for other in 9mm x23 Mauser. I have been successful making both cases from 223 brass!

The 50 Carbine is a shortened (about 1/2") 50-70 for use in the Cavalry Carbine M-1870? 425 grain projectile and 50 grains of FFFg. In the 1873 Carbine The Chamber is the same as the rifle. The '73 Carbine ammo was a 405 bullet over 50 grains of FFFg, the rifle load was 500 grain bullet and 70 grains of FFg (2Fg). My personal 50 Carbine is a parts gun rolling block. I have shot a lot of 45-70, I was very surprised at the light recoil of the 50-50. There is a 50-55 Maynard: same case, 10% more powder.

I do load 375 Win for a 12" Contender barrel, but I always wanted a Dan Wesson in 375 Super Mag.

Ivan

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I have also used the .445 cases to make full length .44 special shot shells.They will hold almost exactly .5oz. of #9 shot.

I use trimmed 460 S&W cases to load 45 Colt shot shell, they hold 1/2 ounce of 7 1/2's and do a number on West Virginia Copper Heads!

You can neck down 7x57 Mauser for 6mm Remington cases. I had a friend that had a MG-34 and a MG-42, I made him a couple thousand 8x57 reloadable cases from 30-06, 270 Win & 280 Remington. Just size and trim to length!

Ivan

 

[22lrfan]

I load around 50 calibers but the ones not readily available in the local stores would be:

Rifles
.218 Bee
.222 Rem
.303 Savage
.32-40
.32 Win Special
.375 Win
.40-82 Win
.43 Spanish
.50-70 Govt

Handguns
9x18 Makarov
.44 Russian
.45 Auto Rim
.455 Eley

 

[Nemo288]

I always wanted a Dan Wesson in 375 Super Mag.

The 375 is definitely the rarest of the supermag revolver family especially now that S&W has legitimized their versions of the 45 and 50 supermags.

Have Bullberry (or another Contender/Encore barrel maker like MGM) make up a 375SM barrel for your Contender.
The supermags do extremely well in short rifle barrels 16-18".
I would love for Bighorn Armory to offer their rifle in .445.

Contenders and now Encores are some of the cheapest ways to get a very accurate gun that shoots an odd-ball round.
Also provides some blue-sky territory where a handloader can explore a previously untried environment and do something unique.
(Encore's are now a S&W product with S&W style serial #'s on the receiver).

 

[LittleCooner]

218 Bee
22 AKM
6 PPC
6 Grinch
6 Fat Rat
250 Savage
284 Winchester
300 H & H

 

[SMSgt]

The 375 is definitely the rarest of the supermag revolver family especially now that S&W has legitimized their versions of the 45 and 50 supermags.

Have Bullberry (or another Contender/Encore barrel maker) make up a 375SM barrel for your Contender.
The supermags do extremely well in short rifle barrels 16-18".
I would love for Bighorn Armory to offer their rifle in .445.

Contenders and now Encores are some of the cheapest ways to get a very accurate gun that shoots an odd-ball round.
Also provides some blue-sky territory where a handloader can explore a previously untried environment and do something unique.
(Encore's are now a S&W product with S&W style serial #'s on the receiver).

I used to own a Contender in .223 and .30 Herrett and would buy another except it is produced in only off-the-shelf calibers now and few in that. Likewise for the Encore. It's gotten too expensive to have specialty caliber barrels made.

 

[Dieseltech56]

Unusual ones I load are

17 fireball
10mm
44 special
357 maximum
375 super mag
445 super mag
454 casull
500 mag

The 375 super mag I cut 375 win cases down. It's for a Dan Wesson. Hands down the most expensive dies I've bought

 

[Nemo288]

I guess my point was that if you going to have a nice custom gun made in a wildcat or other "odd-ball" round
for which no commercial firearms are available, the Encore is an economic choice.
A custom bolt or lever gun chambered in a non-standard round will be more expensive if it's of any decent quality.
My Bullberry barrels were in the $500 region.
Bighorn Armory rifles start at $2500.